Chocolate Jar

ca. 1700

Not on view

This jar was probably used to store cacao beans and once had a lockable iron lid (only the collar remains). Its blue-and-white decoration features stylized birds that recall the Chinese motif of a phoenix (fenghuang) transformed into a quetzal, an extravagantly plumed bird considered sacred by many Mesoamerican peoples. This detail could represent the misinterpretation of a Chinese phoenix or the intentional accommodation of a local meaning.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Title: Chocolate Jar
Date: ca. 1700
Geography: Made in Puebla, Mexico
Culture: Mexican
Medium: Tin-glazed earthenware, iron
Dimensions: H. 10 1/4 in. (26 cm)
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Robert W. de Forest, 1911
Object Number: 11.87.7
Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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